Author
Topic: Who's Next To Croak? (Read 221055 times)

Legendary Musician Ray Charles Dies at 73Legendary Grammy-winning singer Ray Charles, whose gospel and blues-tinged music touched generations of music lovers and pervaded a number of films, died Thursday at his Beverly Hills home after a long battle with liver disease; he was 73. Blind by the age of 7, Charles's musical gifts transcended genres, as he went from country to jazz to blues to gospel with agility and left his mark on each. Ballads like "Georgia on My Mind," R&B hits like "Hit the Road Jack" and his iconic interpretation of "America the Beautiful" were just a few of the hits that won him 12 Grammy Awards, nine of which he received between 1960 and 1966. Appearing on innumerable TV specials (which earned him three Emmy nominations), Charles's best-known screen appearance was his show-stopping turn in The Blues Brothers. A biopic about Charles, entitled Ray, is slated for release later this year starring Jamie Foxx and Regina King. --Prepared by IMDb staff

Former Dallas star Larry Hagman has told doctors he'd rather die than have a liver transplant. The 72-year-old actor, who played villainous JR Ewing in the hit 1980s soap, had to have part of his liver removed at the end of last year when bacteria attacked his organs. And Hagman, who was told he might need a transplanted liver in the near future, was left so exhausted by the procedure he has told medics to let him die if his liver starts to fail on him. He says, "I was on my back for a month. My muscles atrophied. I didn't have any strength. They said if I did need one (a liver), then they would put me on the (transplant) list. I said, 'Don't bother. I'm 72-years-old and I don't want to deprive somebody of a new liver just because I'm greedy.' I feel fine now. I am not afraid of death. I had taken LSD 40 years ago and I had ego death. That took the fear of death away."

more than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. one path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. the other, to total extinction. let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.woody allen (side effects - 1980)

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Actress Isabel Sanford, best known as "Weezie," Louise Jefferson on the television sitcom "The Jeffersons," died of natural causes, her publicist said Monday. She was 86.

Sanford died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she had been hospitalized since July 4, said Brad Lemack. Her daughter, Pamela Ruff, was at her side, he said.

Her health had waned after undergoing preventive surgery on a neck artery 10 months ago, Lemack said. He did not give a specific cause of death.

Sanford co-starred with Sherman Hemsley from 1975 to 1985 on CBS' "The Jeffersons," a spin-off of the popular series "All in the Family," in which she also appeared.

In 1981, Sanford became the first black woman to receive an Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on "The Jeffersons."

She also played Tillie, the maid to Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn's Matt and Christina Drayton, in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1967) -- her feature film debut.

Recently, Sanford lent her voice to "The Simpsons" and appeared in commercial campaigns for Denny's restaurants and retailer Old Navy.

Besides her daughter, Sanford is survived by two sons, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Italian cinematographer Carlo Di Palma died Friday after a series of illnesses at home in his native Rome. He was 79. Di Palma, whose career was forged in the post-World War II era of Italian cinema, collaborated on films with the most famous Italian directors -- from Michelangelo Antonioni, for whom he shot "Blowup" (1966), "The Red Desert" (1963) and "The Identification of a Woman," (1982) -- to Bernardo Bertolucci, Ettore Scola, Roberto Rossellini and Roberto Benigni. Di Palma's pioneering work on "Blowup" is widely considered a historic contribution to color cinematography. Once established, Di Palma served as the director of photography on nearly a dozen American movies for director Woody Allen, including "Hannah and Her Sisters," "Bullets Over Broadway," "Deconstructing Harry" and "Everyone Says I Love You."

Logged

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

July 22nd 2004: News services across the world are reporting the terribly sad news that Jerry Goldsmith passed away in his sleep on Wednesday evening after a long battle against Cancer. Over the last few years the composer had put up a gallant fight against this horrible disease and when possible continued to write new music for film and perform in front of his fans in concert. Perhaps fittingly his last recorded score was with friend and regular collaborator Joe Dante for Looney Tunes Back In Action. In the last few months of his incredible life the composer spent time with his daughter documenting his wonderful career for a planned book project.

Our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and loyal fans. Visit our forum if you would like to leave a message.

I want to die on april fools day, then when people say I die everyone gives them shit cause they think its a joke "How could you even joke like that?! We all know hes very sick and could go at any time!!!" And then they find out its the truth and feel bad.

Logged

Let's go to a motel. We don't have to do anything -- we could just swim.

Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free, silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands, with all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves, let me forget about today until tomorrow.